March 20, 2020
Patrick O’Connor
Regional Economist
(503) 400-4374
- Statewide, the Office of Economic Analysis (OEA) has taken a first look at the relative sizes of the industries most impacted by social distancing. These include air, ground, and sightseeing transportation in addition to museums, spectator events, lodging, and bars and restaurants. Overall these industries account for 225,000 jobs in Oregon, or 12 percent of all jobs statewide.
- Our Mid-Valley area (Marion, Polk and Yamhill counties) has 19,760 jobs in leisure and hospitality, representing just under 10 percent of total employment in our area.
- We have roughly 1,700 jobs at dentist offices in the Mid-Valley.
- Air, ground and sightseeing transportation has just under 2,100 jobs in the Mid-Valley.
- Tribal Government employment is 1,500 in the Mid-Valley. This includes the Grande Ronde Tribe’s governmental operations and the tribe’s casino as well.
- 25,060 jobs in the Mid-Valley are in these industries most impacted by the need for social distancing, 12.1 percent of the total jobs in the Mid-Valley.
- In addition, local education employs 13,900 in the Mid-Valley, comprising 6.7 percent of the Mid-Valley’s total jobs.
- On Tuesday, March 17 there were 18,500 initial UI (Unemployment Insurance) claims statewide in Oregon. For comparison, the largest number of weekly claims in Oregon during The Great Recession was 20,900 initial UI claims in December 2008.